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What you missed at the Detroit auto show

January 14, 2014

The 2014 Detroit auto show featured a bunch of big reveals including the Corvette Z06 and Porsche 911 Targa. Photo by Autoweek

Press days for the 2014 Detroit auto show wrapped up on Tuesday, and the sum total was more big reveals than we can shake a stick shift at. Production cars included the Ford F-150, Corvette Z06, BMW M3 and M4, Subaru WRX STI and the Porsche 911 Targa, while on the concept front we saw the Toyota FT-1, Nissan Sport Sedan and Kia GT4 Stinger just to name a few. Here are some of our favorites, in no particular order.

Photo by Nissan

Nissan IDx concepts

Nissan thinks back to budget racers with its IDx Nismo and IDx Freeflow concepts concepts. The blocky, Datsun-shaped coupes are said to be a return to lightweight sports cars, forgetting the BRZ/FRS twins for the moment. Nissan says the IDx is for the young, or at least the young at heart.

Nissan Sport Sedan Concept

The SSC previews the next Maxima sedan from Nissan. It uses the company's V-Motion design language as well as cues from the Resonance and Friend-ME concepts introduced in 2013. Nissan says the SSC will get a 300-plus-hp, 3.5-liter V6 with a CVT; sounds a lot like the Maxima to us.

Infiniti Q50 Eau Rouge

The Eau Rouge, based on the new Infiniti Q50, is a hot take on the normally staid sedan. Director of Performance Sebastian Vettel has his say, adjusting the driving position, steering, brake feel and more. Johan de Nysschen, president of Infiniti said, “If we built this car, I would expect it to feature over 500 hp and 600 lb-ft of torque.” That's good for the dreamers, but this car probably won't be produced as-is.

Honda Fit

Speaking of the young 'uns, the new Honda Fit made its Detroit debut. The company's high-volume seller is lighter than the outgoing model, but passenger volume improves by 5 cubic feet. Output is rated at 130 hp.

Hyundai Genesis

Hyundai unveiled the first Genesis at the Detroit auto show in 2008, as a less-expensive alternative to the German bruisers and American four doors. It was received well for its station in the market, but didn't blow anyone away. This new one, on the other hand, should have the rest of the world a little more worried. Based on the HCD-14 concept, the new sedan takes Hyundai's already-sculpted styling to the next level.

BMW M4/M3

The BMW Ms were back in a big way at the Detroit auto show. The 3-series has split into sedan and coupe models, the latter now known as the 4-series. Both M3 and M4 will sport 425 hp from a turbocharged inline six-cylinder engine, with 406 lb-ft of torque. Sprints with the dual clutch take 3.9 seconds, while manual drivers will hit 60 mph in 4.1 seconds. This will be the fifth generation of M cars in this segment.

BMW 2-series

Continuing the same naming logic, the 1-series coupe is now the 2-series, which is a little bigger than the car it replaces. The hopped-up M235i made its name at the show, hiding 322 horses under its diminutive hood. BMW says the 2 will go on sale this quarter.

Ford F-150

The 2015 F-150 is poised to be Ford's, and the nation's, biggest seller again. This aluminum-intensive model offers four engines, including a new 2.7-liter EcoBoost with stop/start, as well as the usual suspects—3.5-liter, 3.5-liter EcoBoost and the 5.0-liter V8. A handful of smart features make this pickup even more versatile than the last.

Chrysler 200

Chrysler revealed its redesigned 200 sedan. It looks a bit like the Dodge Dart in profile, but it's miles ahead of the old 200 as far as design goes. It's based on an Alfa Romeo platform, but gets a selection of Chrysler engines to choose from, including the Pentastar 3.6-liter V6 making 295 hp.

Corvette Z06

The Ferrari-killing Corvette Z06 bowed in the only place that would make sense: the Motor City. The Z06 will get at least 625 hp from a 6.2-liter supercharged V8. A seven-speed manual will send power rearward, including 635 pounds of twist. Chevy says that the Z06 with the Z07 performance package will best the outgoing Corvette ZR1.

Lexus RC F

The 2015 RC F actually debuted before the auto show last week. The super-aggressive coupe takes the styling on the IS-F and pushes it even further, starting with its giant spindle grille and check-mark headlights. The RC F gets an active rear spoiler, which pops when the driver hits 50, and drops at 25 mph.

Toyota FT-1

Toyota genuinely caught us off guard when it revealed its new “spiritual pace car,” the wild FT-1 concept. A swoopy, racy product of Toyota's Calty Design Research facility, the FT-1 is easy to imagine as a resurrected Supra -- even if it isn't easy to see how its scoops and scallops could ever make it onto a production car. Though it lacks running gear (the automaker teased us with an engine cover that could have hid anything from a V6 to a V8 to the classic inline-six) and its production prospects are slim, the FT-1 reportedly gets a thumbs up from Toyota CEO and motorsports enthusiast Akio Toyoda. And, for what it's worth, a thumbs up from us Autoweek editors.

Porsche 911 Targa

Porsche went a bit retro with its new power-folding 911 Targa. The first thing we noticed was the brushed metal trim, reminiscent of the original model revealed in 1967. Porsche says the all-wheel drive Targa 4 will sprint to 60 mph in 4.8 seconds.

Audi Allroad e-tron

Audi took the wraps of its Allroad shooting brake on Monday. The plug-in hybrid brings a total of 408 hp and 480 lb-ft of torque, according to the company. It uses an engine and two electric motors with a decoupling clutch. The shell is mostly made of carbon fiber-reinforced plastic, taking cues from Audi's e-tron stable as well as from its wagons.

Cadillac ATS Coupe

Cadillac stretched its ATS range to include a coupe, bringing the fight to BMW and Mercedes' doorstep. It's the first Caddy to feature the redesigned crest, which looks similar to the old crest, but without the wreath. The 2.0-liter I-4 produces 272 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque, while the V6 makes 321 hp and 275 lb-ft of torque.

Subaru WRX STI

When enthusiasts complained out the toned-down look of the WRX, Subaru listened, putting some flair back in the STI. The high-winged sedan gets an angrier face with narrow, tapering headlights and a well-placed hood scoop. The show car, of course, came in WR blue with gold wheels, which is exactly how we'll take ours, thank you very much.

Acura TLX

The Acura TLX could put the company back on the “good design” list, after what seems like years of beak jokes. The TLX will replace both the TL and TSX, according to Acura, but won't offer a manual transmission, at least not at launch. It will, however, offer the company's Super Handling All Wheel Drive (SHAWD) and Precision All Wheel Steering (P-AWS).

Kia GT4 Stinger

Kia is not averse to dropping a wild concept at an auto show. The two-door Stinger 2+2 is evidence of that. The company teased the car for a few weeks before the reveal, finally arriving with a very non-conceptual engine. A turbocharged 2.0-liter makes 315 hp, sent rearward through a six-speed manual transmission. Brembo brakes slow everything down, theoretically of course.

Volkswagen Beetle Dune

The Dune looked ready for the Dakar Rally with knobby tires, an above-average ride height and blinding fog lights to illuminate the desert. The Dune doesn't feature all-wheel drive, but does use VW's XDS differential to get out of trouble spots.

Mercedes S600

If the regular S-class is too “ordinary,” we suggest the V12-powered S600, a top-shelf Mercedes-Benz featuring every electronic acronym the company could find in its engineering workshop. Short of a limousine, this is about as good as it gets.

Mercedes GLA45 AMG

The GLA45 will build on the company's CLA success in getting younger folks to consider the luxury brand as something more than aspirational. The AMG version will probably come in at about $50,000, but the base cars will be much less. This model makes 355 hp, and is expected to go on sale this fall.

Mercedes C-class

The 2015 C-class debuted in the sheetmetal. Until now, we only saw pictures of the new volume seller from Mercedes. The company says the car is 220 pounds lighter than today's model, and gets a 20-percent bump in fuel economy. Power will come from a turbo four or a 329-hp V6.

That's about it from the 2014 Detroit auto show. Next on the auto show calendar is the Geneva motor show in March, where many of the exotic brands will bring their latest machines. We'll expect more news then from Ferrari, Lamborghini and the always-intriguing McLaren Automotive.